It’s a New Year! Do This First…

As one year ends and a new one begins, many of us are reflecting on our lives. Well, today, I want to make you a promise. No matter what is behind you, you can take control of your future. You can choose to dream big. You can make your life whatever you want it to be.

2018 was an amazing year for me. For example, I published my first book, An Unlikely Gift: Finding Inspiration Caring for My Father with Dementia. I went from being employed to being self-employed. I earned another clinical certification to help others in our community enhance their mobility and live a better life. I don’t say that to boast. I say it merely to demonstrate that if I can do it, you can too. It does not matter how big or how small your dream is. What matters is the dream.

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So
today, I would like to share an important first step to make your dreams a
reality this year. What big dreams do you have for the next year? Do you make
New Year’s resolutions? Or, for you, is the process of improving your life
continuous? Either way, consider my
recommendation below as an all important first step.

Let me go on record and say that I am not one to make New Year resolutions. Sure, years ago I did and back then I would get all charged up for a bit, maybe a month or two, and then life would take over and I would slip back to my ways. It’s like that new gym membership. Take a look at all the new people in the gym in January and maybe February. Come March, many are nowhere to be found. They had good intentions, but change is hard.

First Things First

I
want to challenge you in this brand-new year to look forward by first looking
back. Hear me out. What I’m asking you to do is to look back on
the last 12 months or so and think about what you achieved this year. What did you accomplish? What did you learn that was new to you? Where did you travel for the first time? What
new skill did you master this year? Did
you make a new friend this year? What
relationships became more meaningful this year?

I
started doing this about four years ago.
I look back at the past year and make note of my achievements. Every single year I am amazed at what is on
my list. We have a way of forgetting our accomplishments you see. Our lives move so fast and our own
programming will have us look first at what we didn’t do or achieve. Look for the positive for a change. Look for what makes you smile. Look for what makes your heart sing.

This is a great exercise to do when we start a
new year, but truly we can do it anytime.
I do it during the year too. I
find it particularly helpful when I get into what I call a “funk.” Do you ever have those times too when things
just don’t go right? What I’ve learned
is that sometimes I can be my own worst enemy.
I catch my self-talk becoming negative and that limits me from seeing
the good. That is the time when I have
to turn things around right away.

To do this I stop and write down everything for which I am grateful. I mean everything. It might be hard for you to find things to put on your list at first but stick with it. Once you find one and then another, it tends to snowball after that. The holidays – even with all their beauty – can be stressful too. This is the perfect time to appreciate all you have achieved. It works, I promise. It has a wonderful added benefit too. You will find that your mood, your mindset, will improve almost immediately.

Write Them Down

Go ahead, write them down. Some of you will be surprised about how many
things you have done in the past year.
If you have trouble getting started, ask yourself these questions:

What
was your biggest accomplishment this year?

What
are you most proud of this year?

What
experience taught you the most?

What
one word sums up your year?

Once you think you have everything listed, put your pen down and
read your list. Feel how that feels to
relive each accomplishment. Doesn’t that
feel great! Do you see that smile on
your face? Keep reading until you’ve
read them all. Take the time to
acknowledge what this year has provided.
Take the time to give yourself a pat on the back for what you have accomplished. You deserve it! Be good to yourself and bear your own gift
this year.

The really cool thing is that this will open your mind to positive
thoughts about your future. Let the
ideas flow when this happens. Dream, and
dream big. Write these down when they
come to you. Don’t discount
anything. Write them all down. Revisit this list often and decide what’s
worth exploring more. Who knows, you
might be on the cusp of something special.

Looking back is a gift and a great way to jump start your future. You are capable of so much! So, before you spend money on something you may not use later, take the time to just breathe and appreciate all you have achieved. Appreciate what YOU accomplished this year and use that to propel you into another great year of new opportunities and an even better life. Your new year starts now. Make it great.